Brooklyn Stray Bullet Kills Mother of Five
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
A fatal shooting in Brooklyn left 33-year-old Sofronie Hartzog, a mother of five, dead after she was hit in the back by a stray bullet outside a bar in Crown Heights early on Sunday morning. She remained conscious long enough to run into the nearby Ooh La La Lounge and Bar for help, but collapsed in a bathroom and was pronounced dead after being taken to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center. A 34-year-old man, also believed to be an uninvolved bystander, was shot in the abdomen and was reported in stable condition after treatment. Police had briefly detained two men matching suspect descriptions, but released them after determining they were not involved, and no arrests had been made as of Monday
Key Points
- The shooting happened at about 2:20 to 2:23 a.m. on Sunday near Bergen Street and Howard Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, close to Ooh La La Lounge and Bar.
- Witnesses and police said around 100 people had gathered outside the bar when an argument and fight broke out, followed by gunfire into a crowd.
- Hartzog, 33, was struck in the back and ran into the bar seeking help before collapsing in the restroom from heavy blood loss.
- A 34-year-old male passer-by was hit in the abdomen, later reached Kings County Hospital, and was expected to survive after treatment
- Hartzog lived in Gravesend, worked caring for people with disabilities, and left behind five children, all aged 10 or younger, relatives said.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case is a stark reminder that bystanders can become victims when disputes around nightlife venues escalate into gun violence. It also underlines how quickly misinformation can spread in the early hours of a breaking crime story, as initial reports suggested the shooting happened inside the bar before police concluded the victims were shot outside